BIOS and Overclocking …
Get fast to the right UEFI settings …
ASRock H370 Performance BIOS and Overclocking
ASRock H370 Performance UEFI BIOS Update
ASRock H370 Performance overclocking
ASRock H370 Performance memory settings
ASRock H370 Performance voltage settings
ASRock H370 Performance Overclock even easier
ASRock H370 Performance BIOS undervolting
ASRock H370 Performance Fan control
BIOS and overclocking …
Let us continue with the BIOS / UEFI Setup options and the UEFI overclocking. After switching on the PC, press the Del or F2 key to access the UEFI setup.
The ASRock H370 Performance UEFI has a graphical interface that allows intuitive operation with the mouse or can still be operated conventionally with a keyboard.
As usual at the latest ASRock motherboards, there is the ASRock EZ Mode – Easy Mode – which offers a clear input page with a lot of important information and still does not seem overloaded. It has Basic information such as time, date, CPU temperature, mainboard temperature, CPU voltage, first details about hardware, fan speed, hard disk configuration, RAID mode and fan settings with one click.
In addition, a few applications have been combined in one tools page.
Of course you can also use the EZ menu to set the time and date.
Many functions can be controlled with the following shortcuts or F-keys.
With the F6 key or the upper right button you get to the usual ASRock Advanced Mode, which you can also set as default.
The System Browser view at the ASRock H370 Performance motherboard can’t be found, but you will find the Full HD UEFI selection and the Active Page on Entry selection, where you can decide on which UEFI page you want to start in the UEFI setup. On the ASRock H370 Performance you will find the Active Page on Entry option and the Full HD UEFI selection in Advanced.
UEFI BIOS Update …
Before we start with UEFI overclocking, we update the UEFI BIOS to the latest version. Since ASRock regularly integrates new functions, better memory support and new processors, the BIOS update is recommended in most cases. For flashing the UEFI update ASRock offers several possibilities, e.g. the very simple Instant Flash or even the ASRock Internet Flash with a direct connection to the Internet. Via the so-called ASRock Instant Flash Option in the Tool Screen or via the F6 key when starting the PC you can access the ASRock Instant Flash Utility. You can simply install a previously downloaded ASRock BIOS without boot CD or similar by starting the ASRock Instant Flash Utility. Then select the BIOS Flash ROM from the desired drive, e.g. from a USB stick, which you have to unpack after downloading.
At the time of testing the UEFI BIOS version P1.20 was available as the latest download, which we installed immediately over the pre-installed BIOS L1.02.
After a reboot the new BIOS version is available.
The My Favorite function is very helpful because it allows you to place frequently used menu items here, so that you can see them easily on a page and access them faster. You start with a blank page – by the way, it will be emptied after a BIOS update.
The My Favorite page can now be filled with your own menu items by simply going to the respective menu item, then pressing F5 and the desired functions are already included in the My Favorite overview page. Here you can see a selection of possible favorites and we’ll see if that makes sense at all with this H370 motherboard.
There is no RGB LED entry for this ASRock H370 Performance Mainboard, although it has the RGB connectors.
If you need technical UEFI support, you can even contact the ASRock Tech Service via the UEFI setup via network connection.
ASRock H370M doesn’t offer an Easy Driver Installer option, but ASRock makes the RAID driver installation very easy for the user by offering with the Easy RAID Installer the easy way to download the current RAID drivers.
ASRock H370 Performance Overclocking …
Now let’s get to Intel LGA 1151 overclocking with the H370 chipset on the ASRock H370 Performance motherboard. ASRock splits the OC-Tweaker menu into CPU Configuration, DRAM Configuration and Voltage Configuration.
There is a “K” CPU, but there are still no settings for the multiplier or the BCLK and this is what Intel wants with the H370 in contrast to the Z370. So you can’t increase a multi on the Intel H370 motherboard and you can’t even raise the BCLK to overclock the CPU. Only a boot performance mode setting is available for the speed during the boot process.
For overclockers, an Intel H370 motherboard is the sheer horror, because even an Intel Core i7-8700K CPU can only be operated with the standard clock rate of 3.7 GHz or with turbo at 4.7 GHz. If we discover other possibilities soon, we will publish them as usual in Intel OC Forum or directly in OC Workshop. Here you can see a CPU-Z screenshot of the Intel Coffee Lake-S CPU.
ASRock H370 Performance RAM settings …
The DRAM Configuration Menu contains all important memory settings.
Thanks to Load XMP Setting support, XMP memory modules can be set up correctly with just one mouse click in the UEFI BIOS.
Alternatively, you can select the values yourself. With the DDR4 memory clocking you can e.g. set values of DDR4-1200 …
… up to DDR4-2666. Since the BCLK cannot be overclocked, no higher RAM clock rates are currently possible.
All DDR4 timings can also be adjusted manually.
The ASRock H370 Performance also offers a DRAM tweaker menu with all SPD and XMP memory values for direct selection.
ASRock H370 Performance voltage settings …
Now we come to the voltage settings that can be adjusted in the UEFI. Although the CPU cannot be overclocked, the H370 motherboard does offer voltage settings under Voltage Configuration.
For the CPU Core/Cache Voltage you can set the value Offset or Fixed Mode. With Fixed Mode, the Intel Core i7-8700K Test CPU can set a VCore up to 1.520V plus -0.100V to +0.200V offset. Furthermore the H370 motherboard has e.g. the 1.0V PCH Voltage, VCCIO Voltage, VCCST Voltage, VCCSA Voltage and CPU Load Line Calibration. The DDR4 voltage can also be set in the Voltage menu.
ASRock H370 Performance easy overclocking …
Unfortunately, the motherboard with Intel H370 chipset also has no Load Optimized CPU OC Setting.
But you can also use the ASRock F-Stream Tool to adjust the voltage settings listed above or, as in Intel OC guide explained, it can be changed with the Intel XTU Tool (Extreme Tuning Utility).
Here you can see some settings of the ASRock F-Stream Tool.
Once the desired settings have been found, you can save up to five different BIOS settings with names in UEFI under OC Tweaker.
There’re no overclocking settings, but for example, you could store a balanced BIOS setting, undervolting values, office and gaming settings as undervolting, balance and gaming user profile to be able to quickly reload these values at any time.
Also interesting is the Save User UEFI Setup Profile to Disk option. Just click it to save your own UEFI settings on the hard drive or an USB stick.
BIOS Undervolting …
The downclocking or undervolting is also tested in this review. It was not possible to lower the Intel Core i7-8700K CPU frequency over the BIOS. You can lower the voltage to reduce the power consumption. Of course, underclocking is like overclocking outside of the manufacturers specification, so it is necessary to have some luck. ASRock gives several options for easy PC undervolting / downclocking. There are many other UEFI settings to choose from, such as CPU Configuration, Chipset, Storage, Intel Thunderbolt, Super IO, ACPI and USB Configuration as well as Trusted Computing.
If you want to save power when running your PC with an Intel LGA1151 PC or use Intel Virtualization Technology to support multiple, simultaneous operating systems, you should also check the CPU Configuration Menu under Advanced.
But also the settings in Advanced Chipset Configuration with the individual speeds of the PCIe slots, selecting the first graphics card, etc. are interesting.
It is even possible to deactivate each USB port of this ASRock H370 Pro4 manually.
Fan control …
The UEFI Setup of the passive cooled H370 Performance motherboard also features an extensive temperature controlled fan control. The settings for the fan controller can be found in H/W Monitor directly below the temperature and voltage display.
Here are settings for the CPU fan, chassis fans or W_Pump switch.
You have the choice between Customize, Silent, Standard, Performance and Full Speed.
In Customize Mode, several temperature steps are available to which the desired fan speed can then be assigned. The fan settings are changed immediately and can therefore be heard immediately.
ASRock has also integrated the graphical user interface for controlling the fans in the UEFI setup. The FAN-Tastic Tuning menu item can also be found in the H/W monitor and can be used for all settings. Simply select the respective fan connector on the left side and then select the mode on the right side: Silent, Standard, Performance or Full Speed.
In Customize mode, you can set all values directly in the chart and save.
For the chassis fan connectors you can even select, which source you want to use for temperature measurement – Monitor CPU or Monitor Motherboard. Then click on apply and save the values.
And even the control of the 3-pin chassis fans is possible with the DC/PWM mode switch.
Who would rather set the values in Windows, you can use also the ASRock F-Stream tool.
You can usually get along without an expensive Fan Controller, because the fans are controlled with this fan control based on CPU or motherboard temperature.
If everything is set, simply store the settings as usual with the F10 key and confirm with Z or on an English keyboard with Y.
ASRock H370 Performance energy consumption …